For example, she said that her mother always asked Caroline and her brother each to pick a favorite poem to read or recite as part of special family occasions like birthdays and holidays.

In her new book, She Walks in Beauty, Kennedy has collected poems that have inspired her at various milestones.

One quote that caught my attention during the program was from Elizabeth Alexander, a poet who was part of the discussion. The moderator had noted, “Weddings seem to be a time when most people embrace poetry.” Alexander responded:

All of the crossroads of our lives call for distilled language with which to mark those moments, with which to remember, with which to put a jumble of feelings and emotions into something that’s crystal clear and that you can hold in the palm of your hand.

One Response to “Distilled language”

Noel,
I don’t know if you’ve met our son, Matthew, who is a first year student at BCS, but he loves National Poetry Month and celebrates each year by writing a poem a day. His offerings this year are here:http://hallowthename.blogspot.com/